Personal-transportation vehicles are commonly used by persons with ambulatory difficulties or other disabilities. Personal-transportation vehicles are often transported using a motor vehicle such as a van, pickup truck, passenger car, etc. (hereinafter referred to as a “transporting vehicle”).
Lift and carrier assemblies have been developed for lifting personal-transportation vehicles onto and off of transporting vehicles, and for storing the personal-transportation vehicle on the transporting vehicle. A lift and carrier assembly can be configured to store the personal-transportation vehicle in a position external to the transporting vehicle. Alternatively, a lift and carrier assembly can be configured to retract into the transporting vehicle, thereby permitting the personal-transportation vehicle to be transported while located inside of the transporting vehicle.
Retrieving the personal-transportation vehicle from the lift and carrier assembly can present difficulties for a mobility-impaired user. More particularly, it may be difficult or impossible for a mobility-impaired user to move from the driver's position (or some other location) in the transporting vehicle to the lift and carrier assembly, to retrieve the personal-transportation vehicle. It may also be difficult or impossible for the user to move from the lift and carrier assembly to the driver's position (or some other location), after the personal-transportation vehicle has been stored on the lift and carrier assembly. Hence, a mobility-impaired user may be unable to travel in the transporting vehicle when assistance to load and unload the user's personal-transportation vehicle is unavailable to the user at the origin or destination of the trip.
Consequently, a need exists for a system that allows a mobility-impaired user to store and retrieve a personal-transportation vehicle on a motor vehicle with minimal physical effort and movement required on the part of the user.